Combination releg and jack clamp



May 3,1927; 1,626,864

J. P. NEILSON. SR

COMBINATION RELEG AND JACK CLAMP- Filed Dec. 7, 1925 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 ATTORNEY 1,626,864 1927' J. P. NEILSON, SR

COMBINATION RELEG AND JACK CLAMP Filed Dec. '7. 1925 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 aim 2 INYENTOR Jay/a5 fi/l a/ao/i 5/:

ATTORNEY Patented May 3, 1927.

UNITED STATES JAMES P. NEILSON, SR.,

OF TULSA, OKLAHOMA.

COMBINATION RELEG AND JACK CLAMP.

Application filed December 7, 1925 My invention relates to oil well derricks and more particularly to combination drilling and pumping derricks of that type wherein reinforcing legs, commonly termed doublers or relegs, are reinovably erected in connection with a comparatively light pumping derrick to strengthen the latter so that it may be employed for drill .ing operations, and may remain in place after the drilling has been completed and the reenforcing removed. 4

in installing dcrricks of this type it is customary to first erect a permanent, light,

pumping derrick and then raise the reenforcing doublers or relegs along the permanent derrick legs so that the stronger relegs may carry the heavy loads incident to drilling operations.

It is under present methods diflicult to adjust the relegs as to balance the load, and it not infrequently occurs that all or a part of the drilling load is thrown onto the pumping derrick, resulting in twisting or buckling of the lighter derrick.

It is the object of my invention to provide means for settingand adjusting the relegs in the pumping derrick to properly sup. port and divide the drilling load, and whereby the relegs may be easily and quickly removed after the drilling has been completed, to relieve the derrick ofwind hazard and so that the relegs may be employed in other locations.

More specifically the invention comprises a form of clamp which may be attached to the derrick legs and to the adjacent relegs during installation of the relegs, and includes a jack element whereby the relegs may be spread to permit insertion oi. a flller, such as steel disks or washers, whereby the length of the legs may be adusted to properly support the headers and crown block, the jack clamp being likewise employed when the relegs are to be removed.

In the accompanying drawings I have illustrated the invention in a form adapted for use with a tubular derrick and in the following description I will refer to that form, withthe ui'iderstanding that this specific 'construction and use may be varied without departing from the spirit of the invention.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a front elevation of a releg derrick of the tubular type, equipped with my invention.

Serial No. 73,945.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged perspective view of one set of legs, and their mountings, illustrating the use'of my improvements.

Fig. 3 is a detail View of parts of the permanent derrick and relegs, showing fillers between the relegs.

Fig. 4 is a similar View Showing an unfilled joint and illustrating use of a clamp for holding the legs together.

Fig. 5 is an'enlarged view of portions of a set of legs, illustrating use of the jack clamp, the clamp being in vertical section.

Fig. 6 is a cross section of a set of legs and an applied jack clamp, particularly illustrating the slidable mounting of the upper clamp member in the permanent derrick leg.

Fig. 7 is a detail perspective view of the jack clamps, showing the parts in disassembled but relative relation.

Fig. 8 is a detail perspective View of one of the clamp members, particularly illustrating its jack screw socket.

Referring more in detail to the drawings:

1 designates sill plates which may be mounted on a concrete foundation (not shown) in such spaced relation as to mark the four corners of the derrick, and 2 are socket members mounted on vand attached to the sill plates.

Anchored in the socket members and rising therefrom in gradually converging lines are the permanent derrickglegs 3, here illustrated as of tubular formation, although as heretofore stated, this detail is not'material.

Attached to the legs 3 at intervals throughout their height are gusset collars a carrying girts 5and sway braces 6.

The, derrick legs are extended to a de sired height, where they terminate in a horizontal plane, and are equipped at their upper ends with caps 7 upon which the headers 8 are supported, the caps having flanges 9 forming extended flat bases to which the headers are secured by bolts (not shown) which may be extended through apertures 10 in the cap flanges.

lVith the tubular construction, the sockets 2 comprise tubular members 12 within which the permanent derrick legs are snugly fitted, and secured cap screws 18, the cylindrical members having flared flanges 14L at their inner sides forming braces for the relegs. i

On the tops of the sill plates 1 and between the socket flanges 14 are circular bosses 15 of a diameter to snugly project into ize the le the open ends oi? the lower joints of the tubular relegs 16, which rise along the permanent derrick legs at the interior of the derrick. the upper joints of the relegs fittingsnugly over annular bosses 17 formed intrwith 9.1K depending from the cap flanges 9.

The p r set collars i l oi the permanent deructi are usually provided with rick cons interior flanges and the joints oi the perinancut derrick legs sli 'iped into the collars to shut :sg'u'iin-zt the flanges to connect the joints and form a stable derrick ucture. The rclegys. however, cannot be connected in th way, tor the reason that they do not cons tute a permanent part ot the derrick but are intended for removal iOllGWiiigP, the drill in; operation, and must be capable of adjustment independently of each other and m the permanentderrick legs in order to icihince the load on the crown block.

For convenience in erection of the relees, in order to effect the zuljustinent and to securely connect the relep; members at their joints, I have provided the combination clamp and jack, constituting the present inyention.

My construction comprises a split clamp member 18 including the separate mating halves 19 and 20. each comprising a semicylindrical main 1 gi ri 'i 21. adapted for engagement with the main derrick leg 3. a similar but larger releg p '22. adapted for engagement with a rel end flanges 23 and 24: having bolt holes 25 and 26 through which the connecting: bolts :2? and are projected. and a lip 29 separating the grip members 21 and 22 to complete the. semicylindrical formation of the respective grip members.

On the releg' p rip member is a later ally-directed housi gr termed integrally with the clamp member, having a square socket 31 of a size slightly in excess of a nut 82 which is adapted to seat therein a diaphragm 33 for supporting the nut and having an aperture 34: through which a bolt may be projected. and a chamber 35 for receiving: the bolt when the latter is projected through the socket and diaphragm aperture. The separate halves of the clamp are identical in construction and adapted for attachment to the adjacent permanent derrick leg and the releg' with which the clamp is associated.

The clamp just described may be and is employed alone for connecting the joints oi th releg when the latter have been installed, in which use the s cket 30 is not employed.

The principal use of the clamp is. however, in combination with another substantially similar clamp for jacking; the relegi's after all have been installed,v to properly setthe relegs to the header caps and equalths of the legs to eiiiect a balancing; suppoit for the crown block.

it is apparent that as the rclegs are ancimre-d at top and bottom on the bosses l5 and 17 on the sill plate and header cap respectively, setting of the relegs necessitates an original shortness in length in order that the last joints of the legs may be titted over the header cap bosses, and that some means must he provided tor lengthening the legs or otherwise they could not function as a support.

in setting); the lens the joints are built up. one upon the other from the sill plates. clumps being applied at the abutting' ends of the l6. joints to hold them to the permanent derrick legs, and finally, after all ot the relegr joints are in place their adjustment is effected by means 0t my improvement which includes. in addition to the clamp just described, an upper jack clamp 36 similar in all respects to the lower clan'ip jack 1%) heretofore described, except in that the flanges 23 at the pern'ianent lee pjrip end oi the clamp are provided with set screws 37' which project through threaded apertures 38 in one of the clamp halves. so that they may contact the inner face oi? the flange oi the other half of the chunp to spread the grip away tron'i the permanent lee so that the clamp may slide thereover.

In describing use of the invention I will assume that the permanent derrick has been erected in the ordinary manner and with the usual equipment. including the flared lee sockets and bosses on the sill plate and the leg bosses on the header caps.

The relepgs are installed one at a time one in the following manner:

A. joint is set on the sill plate over the boss 15 and one (it the clamps applied to the permanent derrick 1e93, and the bolt 27 at the permanent leg); end oi the clamp tightened to hold the chnnp in place the grip portions 22 being); extended beyond the upper curl of the leg joint to form a socket into which the lower end ot a next higher joint may be set. The releg built up in this way until the top of the derrick is reached. each joint being clamped as described. The other less are then installed in turn.

Yi hen all or" the rele have been set the clamp 18 at the conii-cction between the tut, upper joints oi? one 01 the leg s dropped down to expose the top joint ot' the lee; (Fin: 3). The bolts 2'? and 28 of clamp 17 are then tightened to firmly and securelv attach the clamp to the peii'inauent lee :xi'id the next to the top re joint. Bolts each having? right and left hand threat and at opposite sides of a cent a1 jack 7 are then located on opposite sides of the clamp, with threaded ends of the bolts urojected through the apertures 3% in the hous- Lil fi l

lugs 30, the nuts 31 fitting Within the sockets 32 to support the bolts and hold the nuts against rotation. An upper clamp member 36 is then applied to the permanent derrick and relegs so that the upper ends of the bolts 40 project through the openings in the diaphragms oi the socket housings on the upper clamp members, so that the upper clamp member is supported on the nuts 81 on the upper ends of the bolts. The bolt 28 of the upper clamp member is then tightened so that, the upper clamp member firmly grips the top joint of the releg, the bolt 27 at the permanent leg end of the clamp ren'iaining loose and the halves of the clamp spaced by the set screws 37 so that the grip members 21 of the upper clampmember may slide lireely over the permanent leg.

With the parts so arranged, the bolts 40 are turned with a wrench or by a tool projected into an aperture ll in the jack nuts 43 oi. the jack bolts, the right and left hand thread combination of the boltstending to spread the clamp members apart. As the lower joints of the releg have a lirm bearing on the sill plate at the bottom of the derrick, the leg can not spread in this direction, and therefore the upper joint of the releg is elevated so that its upper end is projected over the boss 17 on the header cap, elevation of the upper joint being continued until its upper edge contacts the header cap. The spacing between the two upper joints of the releg is then filled, preferably with metal disks or washers, of a diameter corresponding to that of the releg, enough Washers being inserted to completely fill the spaces between the leg joints, the upper joint having been preferably raised a little beyond its desired level, so that when the washers have been inserted and the jack released, the upper leg joint will settle back onto the tilled joint and finally assume its permanent level.

lVhen the leg has been set as described, the upper jack clamp member is removed and the lower clamp member loosened and moved up to house the joint, as described in c0nnection with the lower joints. This operation is continued about the derrick until all of the relegs have been properly adjusted, but one jack clamp member being required as it can be used from leg to leg and in connection with any of the primary clamps.

lVhen allthe legs are set the jack clamp member is prefeably allowed to remain on the derrick so that it may be available when the reinforcing or releg elements of the derrick are to be removed.

lVhen the drilling has been completed and when only a pumping structure is required, the relegs may be removed, the jack clamp being employed in the same manner as heretofore described for first raising the top joints of the relegs so that the spacing washers may beremo ved, and then lowering the joints to the ground and moving the jack clamp member from joint to joint and leg to leg until the removal of all the legs is efi ected.

It is apparent from the foregoing description and from the illustration in the drawing that with the aid of my improved jack, the releg reinforcing of the light derrick may be easily and quickly installed, that the relegs may be properly adjusted to balance the load on the crown block, and that the structure en'ibodying my iin novement is simple and economical, both in manufacture and operation.

While 1 have referred specifically to derricks of the tubular type, and have illustrated and described specilic details of structure, such specilic references and disclosures has been only for the purpose of better eX- planation of the invention and not intended as limitation oii'the invention.

What I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is l. A pair of clamps having gripping por tions, and sockets therein, members having socket engaging portions thereon and means for extending said members to separate said socket engaging portions, whereby said clamps are moved away from each other.

2. A pair of separate clamps comprising gripping portions and jack sockets, threaded members in said sockets, and jack screws having right and left hand threaded portions extended respectively into the threadedmembers 01 the jack sockets of the separate clamps.

3. A pair of separate clamps, each comprising gripping portions and jack sockets, nuts in said sockets, and bolts having right and left hand threaded ends projected respectively into the nuts in the jack sockets of the separate clamps.

l. In combination with two clamp members, each comprising a plurality of gripping portions and jack sockets at opposite sides of one of said portions, the sockets each comprising an apertured nut seat, and jack screws each having right and left hand threaded ends projecting through the apertures in the nut seats of the separate clamp members and having nuts thereon seated in said seats.

5. In combination with two split clamp members, each comprising a plurality of gripping portions, means connecting the;

split portions or" each clamp member to anchor the gripping portions to separate objects, means on one of the clamp members for spacing the members of its gripping portions from its object, and jack connection between the clamp members.

6. In combination with a main leg and separate joints of a releg, a clamp attached to the main leg and to one of the releg joints,

:1 ulinnp attached to tho other reieg joint, and jack connection. between the clamps for Spiro-noting tho roiog joints along tho 11min.

T. in roinhination with 1, 11min 16g and iiiigning joints of u reieg. a dump attached to [ho 11min leg and to one oi tho relng joints and having jnoh 6001mm it chimp uttiiohed to iho other rel-6 joint and having juok sockets on its o iipo fiio sit! nuts in said sockets, and juci; screws chi-tidal into mitt nuts-5, the ihrmu'is on opposite tcntifi oi the screws being rovorsmii to spread tho uhunp upon olierzttiriiu of the screws.

8. in LfUiililiilZtiiUii with ;1 main log and aligning joints; of u roiog, :1 split olzunp hawing gripping portions engaging the main iog' and one joint of tho rolog 21ml having and flnngen, bolts on the onii i i for tight/em ing the ohunp to tho logs, a split clamp having gripping portions engaging the other roieg; joint and enclosing the main 16g and having onti Hangers, bolts connecting the 6nd flanges; for tightening the ohunp to the legs, 131621113 for sp reuding tho grippii'ig portions lUl' the 1111113] log to permit the CidIHp to s ido her-cover, 1116:1119 on tho oimnps for receiving jack screws, and jack screws seated in said rue-tins opposite ends 01: the SCI'UWS being right and left hand threaded to spread, the uhunps upon operation of the sorows.

vin tnstimony whrreof I ni'iix my signature.

JAMES P. NEILSON, Sn. 

